MY GRANDMOTHER'S SPACE SUIT

"My Grandmother's Space Suit" is, in itself, the answer to the question "how will Fonderia create a new repertoire of creative works after the delivery of magnificent sounds and moods in their previous album "Re>>enter"?". Well, they did so by reformulating their modern jazz framework. This album is a novelty in various aspects for Fonderia, one of them being the inclusion of two (not just one) sung tracks: 'Loaded Gun' (with lyrics based on a couple of poems by Emily Dickinson) and 'I Can't Believe This Is Just a Pop(e) Song' (a real musical parody featuring Belgian guitarist-singer Emmanuel Luis). 'Moebius Onion Rings' opens up the album on a melancholic note, bearing abundant shades of sonic warmth and introspective flairs (due mostly to the dynamics that Vicarelli creates at his electric piano). Even when the pace gets faster, the eerie melancholy prevails all the way through. This exercise on serene jazzy ambiences contrasts the robust exoticism of 'Istambul', one of the highlights in the album: its combination of fusion and acid-jazz owes much of its success to the exciting alternations of Bultrini and Pietropaoli's tasteful solos (actually, this is one of the most consistent musical strategies in the band's repertoire) for the development of the basic compositional subject. 'Loaded Gun' features guest vocalist Barbara Erame: relaxed in a tense way, atmospheric yet adorned with pertinente moments of density, this piece states some sort of mixture of 90s Gabriel and 00s Bjork: at least, this is how I can describe it. Eramo delivers the emotions beautifully. 'Gravity Wave' establishes yet another moment of vibrant modernity with its combination of trance and nu-jazz: this is really a piece that could feed a multitude's groove on a dance floor. 'Liquid', on the other hand, bears a majestic sort of progressive musicality, somewhat related to the band's second album. The synth solo in the middle section and the acoustic guitar arpeggios that go meandering in and out are my fave elements in this track. And so we get to 'A Billion Electric Sheep' (a tribute to Philip K. Dick's novel "Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?", I presume) is an exercise on un-jazz wrapped up in psychedelic wool (a-la Ozric Tentacles) and electronic satin (early 80s Kraftwerk). 'Gojira' continues in this electronica-friendly trend Albert with a rockier punch, which certainly helps the band to properly exploit the track's essential dynamics, mostly sustained on the rhythm duo's funky groove. There is an ethereal spacey interlude that adds an interesting variation before the return of the original drive for the closing part. With the 'I Can't Believe This Is Just a Pop(e) Song', Fonderia an guest Louis indulge in a Zappa- esque sort of pop parody (in the mould of "Zoot Allures" or "Joe's Garage", I guess). But let's not forget that this band is constantly experimental, and the use of Frippian guitar tricks in this song makes it no exception at all. The album's last track is 'Doctor's Hill', a piece that shares much of the intimate introspectiveness of the opener during its first 3 ½ minutes; the remaining part shifts toward a powerful climax. This end is tremendously colorful, which makes the album's conclusion an exciting experience. More exciting it is, of course, listening to the whole album many times in order to enjoy it more thoroughly with each listen: after all, this is a Fonderia album, which a guarantee of great quality eclectic jazz-rock.